KarenVChin's post
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Connect Moderator

Capturing the “Beauty of Life” Using My Phone

Ever wonder if the camera on your phone is as good as a DSLR?

I know I am always inspired by many of the wonderful Local Guides here on Connect with their beautiful photography. As Local Guides photographers, we fall under two camps: Local Guides with DSLRs and Local Guides with their smartphones.

 

I want to share my personal experience as a Local Guide who only uses a phone, currently an iPhone 8 Plus (Don’t hate me for this!), as my camera of choice to take photos for everything, including Google Maps. You can get just as good results with a high-quality smartphone as with a DSLR.

 

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, throughout the year, we have many types of birds that call this area their home.

 

Caption: A Mourning Dove nesting in my planter tub on my front porch. Photo: @karenvchinCaption: A Mourning Dove nesting in my planter tub on my front porch. Photo: @KarenVChin

 

I had an amazing “National Geographic Society” opportunity that literally landed on my doorstep during the Summer of 2016. This was priceless and I am still amazed that it happened without any prep on my part.

 

 

I was fortunate to be able to watch and capture in photos at the time with my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 the birth of a pair of mourning doves, not just once, but twice in my plant container on my front porch.

 

Caption: A Mourning Dove with her two eggs on my front porch. Photo: @karenvchinCaption: A Mourning Dove with her two eggs on my front porch. Photo: @KarenVChin

Mourning doves are smaller in size to pigeons. They are slightly different but from the same family. They can have up to 6 sets of chicks during their mating season. They are monogamous and form strong pair bonds. And both the male and female sit on the pair of eggs (two) and feed them after they hatch.

 

Birds, in general, build their nest in private, hidden areas to protect themselves and their eggs from predators, which includes both wildlife and humans. I have never heard of wild birds willing to nest so close to humans and let a human, me, hold out her arm less than 3 feet to take their photos, including the birth of their baby chicks.

 

Caption: Momma Dove with Baby Chick #1 while waiting for Baby Chick #2 to hatch. Photo: @karenvchinCaption: Momma Dove with Baby Chick #1 while waiting for Baby Chick #2 to hatch. Photo: @KarenVChin

Not knowing about Googler @Christina-NYC's nature photography tip of taking photos in the early morning,

I was actually doing this because it was the best time to capture the right light and it was the calmest time of the day in front of my house. Not as many cars drove by or where my neighbors were walking in front of the house.

 

Caption: Momma Dove with her two chicks. Photo: @karenvchinCaption: Momma Dove with her two chicks. Photo: @KarenVChin

This momma dove really did like Chateau Chin because she stayed for the entire summer and did not mind me taking photos of her and her two sets of baby doves.  Being less than 3 feet from her with my Samsung, she never once raised her feathers or blinked at me.

 

What I learned that summer . . .

Taking photos up close of this “beauty of life” gave me the courage to use my phone more and to try different angles to get more of the finite details of an object, such as my recent flower photography using now my iPhone 8 Plus.

 

I also find I am not afraid to try take photos of birds when they catch my attention with my iPhone too. For example, here on Kauai, one of the 8 major islands of Hawaii, wild chickens have free rein on the island. They can be found everywhere, including in hotel and condo resorts, the car rental agency at the airport, etc. This particular rooster was one of many running around at the place I stayed last year during the Holidays.  For more of my Google Maps review, read this.

 

Caption: Wild Chickens are a tourist attraction in Kauai. They have no natural predators. These guys start crowing around 4 am every day!  Photo: @karenvchinCaption: Wild Chickens are a tourist attraction in Kauai. They have no natural predators. These guys start crowing around 4 am every day! Photo: @KarenVChin

Check out my less than 2-minute video (and not to bore you with a ton of photos - I took at least one photo a day during the summer of 2016 as I witness the "beauty of life" twice.)

 

 

Are you a phone or DSLR photographer? What do you prefer? Have you ever had the opportunity to photograph the stages of life, whether animal, insect, or floral?

 

Cheers,

Karen

San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
71 comments
Connect Moderator

Re: Capturing the “Beauty of Life” Using My Phone

Thank you @KarenVChin for remembering to everyone (included myself, of course) that the new design of Google Maps is oriented to the phone users.

This seems a bit unnatural to me, as I grew up with a camera in my hand, with film in the past, and digital now, but I have to admit that a phone is a perfect tool for most of the photos that we take. Your post is great, in showing to us how this is really possible, exploring one of the field (birds photo) that everyone consider an exclusive area for powerful photographers.

Thank you for sharing also the great post written by @Christina-NYC . I suggest to scroll the long list of "how to" post she wrote (well, she still writing), for helping us in using our phone for taking photos. I don't have a personal preference, but I want to add here the one that I find more challenging: How to step outside your normal routine as a photographer

I am tagging here @AntonellaGr , as I know (I wonder why) how much she love to use a phone for taking photos

 

Level 10

Re: Capturing the “Beauty of Life” Using My Phone

@KarenVChin This is such an nice experience. To see the dove chicks grow up and all. 

Some time back some birds were making their nest up the pillar just outside my door, and I would place a small pot of seeds and water nearby. That went on for quite some time, and was happy the chick grew up and after that, they didn't come back. Maybe the next time. 🙂

Didn't manage to take any photos though. Was too high up.

Connect Moderator

Re: Capturing the “Beauty of Life” Using My Phone

Hola @KarenVChin , me encanta tu post ya que reivindica el uso del móvil como una poderosa herramienta de registro de la naturaleza, más en la actualidad con sus poderosas lentes que bajo determinadas condiciones y el tipo de foto a realizar superan ampliamente a las DSLR. 

Creo que el secreto tambien es poder estar en el momento justo y nuestra vista de Local Guides agudiza eso, permitiendo pasar por la naturaleza de una manera más inquisitiva que contemplativa.

La oportunidad casi única de que tus palomas escogieran tu jardín y en especial tú maceta, casi a la mano tuya, es casi único, felicitaciones por las imágenes que logradas.

 

En mi caso puedo decir que el 80% de mis fotos son realizadas con mi móvil incluso llegué a la conclusión de que las Fotos 360 son más vividas y soportan mejor el zoom que tomadas con la Theta V, que generalmente no conecta bien con el móvil, (es otro tema para un post exclusivo de eso). 

 

Caption: Abejorro - Tolhuin (Local Guides @FaridMonti)Caption: Abejorro - Tolhuin (Local Guides @FaridMonti)

 

Caption: Gusano - Tolhuin (Local Guides @FaridMonti)Caption: Gusano - Tolhuin (Local Guides @FaridMonti)

 

Caption: Hijas de ñire - Tolhuin (Local Guides @FaridMonti)Caption: Hijas de ñire - Tolhuin (Local Guides @FaridMonti)

En geneal los temas que me gustan son los paisajes, la comida y la naturaleza, la Fotos con mucho acercamiento, por ejemplo un insecto una hoja etc, el móvil lo hace muy bien y otro punto sobre el cual estoy comenzando a tenerle mucho cariño al móvil es en los videos. Con todo esto, hace que deje de lado llevar tantas cámaras extras, como la réflex y los lentes.

 

Caption: Hojas de árbol  - Ushuaia (Local Guides @FaridMonti)Caption: Hojas de árbol - Ushuaia (Local Guides @FaridMonti)

 

Caption: Flor - Ushuaia (Local Guides @FaridMonti)Caption: Flor - Ushuaia (Local Guides @FaridMonti)

 

Caption: Semilla - Ushuaia (Local Guides @FaridMonti)Caption: Semilla - Ushuaia (Local Guides @FaridMonti)

Por supuesto si deseo hacer una Fotos de un ave volando o un animal a la distancia o la cara de una persona a 100  lo realizo con la reflex.

 

Graciasnpor comosrtir y darnos la excusa para contar como cada uno de nosotros utiliza su móvil.

 

Farid

Level 8

Re: Capturing the “Beauty of Life” Using My Phone

Dear @KarenVChin 

You were lucky to take pictures (and beautiful ones!) of birds in your garden. I use a phone too, not in my garden It is impossible for me with my 3 cats 🙂 🙂 

Here is a picture of a stork (I thnk it is a stork) 

Cheers

Antonella

46488252_529476590861424_5541440137570811904_o.jpg

Former Google Contributor

Re: Capturing the “Beauty of Life” Using My Phone

@KarenVChin Awe! Nothing in the world touches the heart like baby animals! They are beautiful. Thanks for capturing. 

Level 9

Re: Capturing the “Beauty of Life” Using My Phone

Thank you @KarenVChin for capturing these beautiful moments and sharing with us. It is a pleasure to see such things, that touches our heart and makes us feel the beauty of our planet.
Level 10

Re: Capturing the “Beauty of Life” Using My Phone

@KarenVChin Thank you for sharing. The photos are amazing. I’ve also taken some very captivating photos with my phone. Back in San Francisco, @nkwetche @ChamnanMuon,  @YK1001 and myself just came out from Super Duper Burger in Mission Street and as we crossed over to Spear street, I saw this guy that sells the most beautiful and colorful flowers I’ve even seen. I was so blown away and  couldn’t help but approached him and politely ask if I can take some photos of his lovely flowers and he agreed. 

 

 

888F584F-7112-43DB-A079-C9B6E7106F83.jpeg

 

63ED918B-76D2-4AA8-B777-C5B9529EE73E.jpeg

 

A545F6BF-2C0D-4E2A-9ACA-21E50B440A47.jpeg

 

68F11526-A803-40ED-BE40-7B8EF51DF729.jpeg

 

Level 10

Re: Capturing the “Beauty of Life” Using My Phone

@ErmesT This my friend has a very emotional attachment with his camera and has taken me some amazing shots and I don’t think Ermest is ready to switch to phone camera just yet 🤣🤣🤣

Former Google Contributor

Re: Capturing the “Beauty of Life” Using My Phone

Hi @KarenVChin,

 

Thank you for writing this post, I so much enjoyed reading it. It is amazing to see how the wild mourning dove trusted the tub in your front porch. Is this the first year it happens?

 

I remember when I was a kid I used to spend my summers in my grandparents' house in a village. There every summer next to our front door I would see swallows creating their nest and giving birth for the next generation. What really surprised me that for many years, as spring comes swallows would always choose to go back to their "home", the nest they created before and will remember the exact place and location. In winters they move to other warmer countries and travel long distance. I wonder how do they remember all the way and don't choose to build up a new nest every year?

 

As to answer your question about DSLR versus phone cameras, for now my personal choice is to use a phone to take all of my photos. I like the quality of my phone and choosing the right DSLR camera is rather hard for me as I have never had a one before.

 

Last but not least, last summer while I was climbing Rila mountain with my friends and me came across horses with their fillies. It was the first time that I see a filly so close to me.

 

Caption: A photo of me taking a photo with a filly. (Local Guide @TsekoV)Caption: A photo of me taking a photo with a filly. (Local Guide @TsekoV)

Due to the volume of private messages Google Moderators receive, I do not read or respond to private messages. Please post publicly so others may benefit from your discussion. If you require urgent assistance, please tag a Google Moderator. Thank you!